By Angi Collins
On September 16th, our church family gathered at Bethel United Methodist Church to take a look at our past, celebrate our present achievements, and look forward to the future.
Everyone had a chance to look at memorabilia from our church’s past, including an antique communion set, old church directories and Sunday School attendance pins. Many people were surprised to learn that the first record of circuit riders preaching in Mt. Washington is from 1837. Our current sanctuary was built in 1919.
Near the historical display was a collection of children’s posters showing their vision of the future church building. There was also a wooden model of our proposed new building, which has kept Joe Collins busy for many hours!
There was a wonderful meal provided by Two Cooks Catering and each attendee also received a jar of candy decorated with an emblem of our proposed building and our sacrificial giving campaign theme “Forward in Faith.”
We all enjoyed the performances of several of our talented members, including a flute solo by Linda Schmidt, songs by an ensemble, and the song “Thank You,” which featured Joe Collins singing while Sandy Blandford, Kelli Stephens, and Kendra White of Silent Prayer performed. Cindy Wilson served as the mistress of ceremonies.
During the program, we heard from Verna Jennette about the church’s history. Kelly Norton and Becky Keown spoke about the present work of the church, and Kendra and Kelli represented the youth by sharing their experiences of what our church means to them. Lexington businessman Glen Delavalle shared testimony regarding his becoming a Christian and how God has worked miracles through his life. Campaign directors Tim and Stacy Wiseheart recognized the campaign workers and thanked them for their help.
As the commitment cards were being totaled, a video produced by Tasha Cherry and a slide show compiled by Pastor Mark gave everyone glimpses of the many ways our current building serves the members and others in the community, while highlighting some of the physical problems with the building.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The top goal of the campaign was $700,000 of pledges paid over a three-year period. There was much rejoicing as the figure of $916,842.00 was announced! Pastor P.T. Barnum closed the program with a prayer and we all sang the doxology.
It just goes to show us that anything is possible when we move forward in faith!